Blackwood
by Gonethoughts
Summary: Darkness and the unkown fill the orphan Ciel Phantomhive's life, ever since he was found injured and suffering from amnesia by Dr. Sebastian Michealis. Plagued by nightmares and terror, he is sent to a mental institution run by secrets where he discovers a terrifying truth. Pairings later. Will get very dark.
1. Chapter 1

By this point in the early morning, the rain from last night's storm had died down to a mild drizzle, the wind to on and off gust, and the thunder and lightning to every so often flashes and rumbles.

Dr. Sebastian Michaelis, around thirty, though his face portrayed a younger age, drove mildly, not hindered by the storm but not goaded by a need to get anywhere in a short amount of time. He liked to take his time driving these picturesque country roads, even if it was early morning and through a dying storm. A light watercolorlike glow, watery red and pale, tried to poke both through the darkened clouds and the jigsaw fittings of the pine tree line. The radio was on low, a crooning baritone voice sang through the static, sometimes getting jumbled with news about ministers saying how we should fighting enemies on beaches or something similar.

He hummed slightly to himself, not in tune with the music or with a specific melody in his head, but just a random, slightly bouncy rhythm born from boredom.

A great bend in the road came before him, slightly illuminated by the weak headlights, and was unexpected. Deftly and with high reflexes, Sebastian quickly turned the wheel accordingly. But around the bend, clear as demonic daylight in the rising sun, was a boy, standing in the middle of the road.

A tremendous screech bansheed from the wheels as Sebastian nearly ran off the road in an attempt to prevent himself from hitting the appearing figure. He stopped and looked through the back window, his eyes wide and heart racing.

Through the weak sunlight he could see that it was a boy, around ten or so. His hair was dark, thick, wet, and matted, nearly covering the grubby face. Sebastian quickly jumped out, about to question the child's safety, but immediately stopped dead in his tracks when the figure came into his full view.

The boy was devoid of all clothing, his naked body smeared with mud and what Sebastian thought was blood, much to his disgust and horror. The stood stiff like a mannequin that was ran through with volts, his arms pressed tightly to his sides and a stiffness to him like a pole. Sharp lines jutted in rows from either side of the child's torso; he had obviously not eaten in a long time. One eye, poking through his hair, was widely opened, staring out into abyss. The other was covered by hair. Below their endings, a slow and steady stream of a red fluid waterfalled down his cheek and onto the pavement.

Sebastian's attempts to utter words were entirely in vain. Any resemblance to actual syllables were but queer choking sounds. He raised shakey hands towards the figure, why he didn't know.

The boy's mouth slowly opened. His lips began to convulse and spasm, as if they were trying to make words. A small noise, a gasping noise, permeated the air. He was trying to speak. But before he could, the one visible eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he fell onto the road like a sack of bloody bricks.

Sebastian was above the boy in a matter of seconds. The form laid there like a corpse, if it wasn't for the occasional rise and fall of his chest to refute it.  
Part morbid curiosity, part a need to know from a doctor's perspective, led to the extension of a tremor-addled hand to the hair-covered eye. He gripped the wet fibers in his hand, and moved it.

What appeared to be a round cherry tomato, crushed and sliced to a pulp, seemed to inhabit the ocular cavity. Sebastian nearly wretched right then and there, but he knew that he had to get this kid to proper medical treatment. He was a doctor, but a head and literature one; not a body one.

He peeled off his long coat and swaddled the mutilated child in it. He felt as light as air. Quickly Sebastian almost shoved the figure across the back seat, slamming the door behind him. Sebastian slid into the front seat, and drove as fast as he could to the nearest hospital, the red light of the sun brightening the world around him like crimson blood.

Two Years Later….

The dinner party, if one could be arrogant or stupid enough to call it one, was going relatively smoothly, meaning Dr. Claude Faustus didn't mention any grievance he had with some poor patient or staff member, Dr. Sebastian Michaelis had not responded in a Wildean way, and Head Doctor Grell Sutcliff had not, well, been himself to an excess.

The three doctors in question sat in Grell's abode on the western lawn of Blackwood Institution. He had been the Head Doctor ever since the previous one had a complete and total mental and emotional breakdown when he had learned that his favorite literary detective had died in a tumble down a waterfall a few decades past. Grell wished the doctor the best of luck, wherever he was now. He kept his red velvet-clothed shoulders pointed upwardly like stands for his face as he picked at the baked salmon with his knife delicately, like any precious man of his standing should. Every once in awhile, he would peer over the tops of his spectacles to the figure to his right and blush slightly.

"Sebastian….," crooned the silky voice, drawing out every syllable, "is there something the matter? You have barely touched your salmon, but I had it made especially for you; I know how much you like it."

"With all due respect, Dr. Sutcliff, I feel Dr. Michaelis would rather spend his time brooding like the pretentious scholar he fancies himself as then show gratitude for this meal!" Dr. Faustus broke his quiet streak, it seemed.

Grell darted his eyes back to Sebastian with almost sadistic glee; he loved to see him snap back at Claude. It drove him wild to see Sebastian insert his dominance so.  
But the smile faded slowly, and his eyes turned from glee to concern when he saw that Sebastian had not heard any one of them.

"Sebastian!" Grell said, slightly more urgent, as he gently shook the man's shoulder.

"My apologies, Dr. Su-I mean...Grell." The redhead blushed when he hear the man say his name. "I have been enjoying the salmon greatly, it's just that, well, my mind has been quite preoccupied lately."

"Over what might I ask, my dear?"

A snort came from the other doctor. "What appears to be a grave issue for Dr. Michaelis is merely a nuisance for most sensible folk!"

"It's not that. It's…" he looked up for the first time during the meal, "remember that boy I found two years back near the Trancy manor in Glimsbury? The one that was banged up something bad?"

Grell nodded eagerly. "Why yes! He was declared ward of the county, right?" This was getting quite interesting. He loved gossip, especially when Sebastian was saying it!

"Well, yes. I could never shake him from my mind, and so I often checked the news there to see if there was any sign of him. Well, there was….a lot, in fact. He appears to be suffering from some deep mental disturbance stemmed from that trauma. They say he has amnesia; he can't remember the slightest detail from before the...well….incident. They gave him a name, though, Ciel Phantomhive."

"Ciel Phantomhive? How does one come up with such a queer label for a disturbed orphan?" Claude justhad to say something.

Sebastian continued: "They say his eyes were like the sky, and he was quite attached to a teddy bear of a certain brand at the hospital. Anyway, he kept having these fits of sorts. They caused a great deal amount of trouble for his adoptive parents, understandably, so his has been through a lot of homes these past two years."

"Oh! Such a horrible plight this angel has befallen!" Grell always had a flair for dramatics.

"And, it turns out, his latest caregivers contacted me the other day. They want to see if we can examine and take care of him."

"Oh please! This is a serious institution, Dr. Michaelis! I'm sure Dr. Sutcliff will agree that this is not an orphanage!" Claude added another sigh and snort as if to maximize his disdain. He grabbed his glass and took a sip of wine.

Grell turned to Claude, annoyed. "I would say no such thing! I feel absolutely horrified over this poor creature's treatment! If there is anything Blackwood could do for him, then I am all for it!"

Sebastian smiled, much to Grell's arousal and much to Claude's disgust.

"Thank you so much, and I am sure that this will be an interesting experience for us all!"

Grell nodded dopily and Claude frowned and took another gulp of the wine. Yet all three agreed, it would be a very interesting time. Yes, it would indeed.

 **A/N: Thank you so much for bearing with me! I have had this idea in my head for a while and I can't wait for it to be realized and I hope you all enjoy it. I was not happy with my previous stories which is why they are gone. Thank you all so much**


	2. Chapter 2

The moment Sebastian saw the boy, a wave of remembrance, sadness, and interest fell over him.

Young Ciel was just how he remembered: lithe and small, yet slightly older. One dark blue eye, the other now covered by an eyepatch. His skin was still pale, still smooth, asking for a stroke. A warmth came over the doctor. Ciel was adorable in a naive, childish way. The sadness came with the anxious and fearful look upon the boy's face.

Sebastian was about to phrase a greeting of reassurance to the child, but his parents spoke first.

"Now I want you to sit in the hall, boy."

Ciel's adoptive father was a large brute of a man, rugged and ugly, wearing a cap and suspenders with his dirty shirt and pants. The mother was a thin waif of a lady, submissive, quiet, and in a hideous floral print dress.

Ciel nodded quickly, and sat down in the hall. The dad, Mr. Harker, pushed passed Sebastian and into the rented office. The doctor was kind enough for Mrs. Harker to go before him.

"Now," said Mr. Harker as he sat his large underside on a poor chair, "when are you going to be taking him to the loony bin?"

"Please, Mr. Harker," Sebastian replied, trying to get out a notebook and pen and keep his manners at the same time, "We prefer to call it Blackwood Institution. Our only mission is to be friends and caregivers to the mentally unsound. Besides, the only way for your son to be a patient is for both you and his consent, along with reasonable cause."

"Well if there's one bugger that has probable cause, it's him!"

Mrs. Harker nodded frantically as if on cue.

Sebastian had to hold back. "I shall be the judge of that. Now, can you please tell me all you feel is pertinent. Let's start with his behaviour at home."

The fat man sighed excessively and rolled his eyes, as if to wonder where he could begin. Presently, he started.

"Where the hell can I begin with that thing? Ever since day one he's been off. Quiet as a mouse. Barely eats. At least he is not in my hair none. Spends most of the time in his room, doing God knows what. He's a real shut in, that boy. Doesn't play with anyone. Not a soul, but I can't blame them, really. Hell knows I wouldn't either!"

Sebastian pushed to move the subject forward. "Erm...does he have any hobbies, considering he is stagnant socially?"

"Aye. One thing. He paints like there's a devil in 'em."

"I see," said Sebastian, scribbling in his notebook. "Are the images obscene? Upsetting? Violent? Usually that can say a lot about what goes on in their head."

Harker shrugged his heavy shoulders. "I couldn't tell ya even if I knew. Those things are as intelligible as that Latin shit!"

Sebastian was fluent in Latin, but that was beside the point. "I see. Interesting. Anything else I should know? Emotional outbursts, or lack thereof?"

"There's only one I can think of," said Harker as his went back and forth, remembering. "Two, actually. Whenever there's a storm, a real big one, we sometimes find him out in the field, naked as the day he was born."

"Really?" Sebastian imagined, just for a moment, the young boy naked and wet. He had to stop.

"Yeah! How messed up is that? And, he screams there, too. Loud, like a banshee. You could almost hear him over the damn thunder! But the moment we get to him, he passes out. Doesn't even remember it."

"Curious. Curious indeed. Anything else."

Harker looked at his wife. She nodded.

"Well, there is. One more thing. It's kinda embarrassing. But, well, he pisses himself when he sleeps something awful."

"He does? How often?"

He shrugged. "'Bout once a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. Not sure why that freak does it."

"Well, it's normal for some kids to wet themselves. It could be biological, it could be...psychological as well. Nightmares, for example."

"He does talk a lot about nightmares, though. Never tells us what they're about, though, not like I'd want to know what goes on in that his head! What the hell do you think is wrong with him?"

Sebastian looked at his notes and thought. "Well, it appears that the _incident_ , was highly traumatic. It is probably the stem of all of his behaviours. I remember, when my father came back from the Great War, he had similar problems like your son. He had hard times adjusting, had nightmares, outbursts. It's pretty common actually, even though we psychologists haven't found a good term for it."

Harker nodded emptily, as if he did not understand half of what the doctor said.

"So, will you take him off of our hands?"

"Well, it all depends on your son. I'll go talk to him and we will go from there."

The boy sat there, quiet and defeated.

Though he was inside, he was wrapped up tightly in an overcoat and a scarf, but even then he still had chills to the bone. One arm clutched a tattered teddy bear to his side, the other sat limply beside him, sometimes drumming a gentle beat on the wooden bench. One eye, dark like the sea, was open, the other covered sufficiently by a black eyepatch. His head was down, but every so often he would look up slightly fearfully towards the door as he listened to the mumblings behind it.

They were talking.

His "mom", his "dad", that doctor. The hospital, or "loony bin" as his dad called it, that he worked at was south of Glimsbury, too far for them to drive in that junker of theirs. The doctor….Michaelis (that was his name…?) was nice enough to meet them in Shepherd's Mill, their hometown, at the local hospital, which was where Ciel sat.

He sighed deeply. This was a Catch-22 if he had ever heard of one. He hated, no, _loathed_ , his "dad". He was an awful, drunken monster.

It was not like his school was even better. Those heathens. Those monsters that harassed him every day. "Silent Ciel!" they'd scream in great droves. "Silent Ciel! Silent Ciel!" or sometimes the dreaded "One eye! One eye!" But...to go from that to...to a loony bin, full of psychos and schizos. What type of an improvement would that be?

A creak of the door opening made Ciel jerk his head up quickly.

It was the doctor. He had a smile of the most gentle and loving kind upon his face. Ciel quickly looked down as warmth flushed to his cheeks.

"Hello," came the gentle and charming voice, "I don't think we got to formally meet. My name is Doctor Sebastian Michaelis. It is a great pleasure to meet you, Ciel, can I call you that? Good. May I take a seat?"

A quick movement of the head gave

Sebastian clearance.

Out of all of the available space upon the bench, the doctor just had to sit right next to Ciel, effectively trapping him between the armrest and the man.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good." His voice was barely audible.

"That's great. Now, your parents have some concerns over you, do you understand?"

"They're...they're not my parents."

Sebastian sighed but smiled still. "I understand how you must feel. To have such an awful case of amnesia and to be orphaned at such a young age under such gruesome circumstances must be terrible. You might even feel alone. Do you?" His voice was gentle yet so very prying.

A slow nod was the only response given.

"So, they say you have trouble in school. Can you tell me anything about that?"

Ciel looked at him. Sebastian's heart began to slowly melt under the child's innocent gaze. "They all hate me. So much. They call me a freak and one eye and silent Ciel and they push me. I hate them all. I hate them all so very, very much." His one free hand began to ball into a fist as he slowly shook.

"I understand. Bullying is not an easy thing to deal with. But….you have to look past that, you know? Don't care about them if they don't care about you."

Sebastian placed his arm on the boy's shoulder. Ciel almost jumped out of his skin, but accepted the gesture with little more fanfare.

"But….they say I'm stupid. I never finish tests. I always forget my homework. My teachers say my head is full of air."

Sebastian felt pity for the kid. He hated to see such an adorable creature upset.

"You are a very smart kid, Ciel. Don't listen to any of them."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes you are," responded the doctor, "Even though you don't finish your tests on time, when you do, you get everything right. And your paintings, they are masterpieces!"

Ciel's eyes lit up and he looked at the doctor, amazed. "You've seen my paintings?"

"Yes." A small white lie never hurt.

"You think they're good? My dad says they stink."

"I've never heard such a cruel lie."

Ciel smiled warmly and looked down.

"I know why you're here." His voice returned to that same defeated tone. Sebastian's smile faded.

"Why am I here then?"

"You're going to take me away, to that loony bin because I'm crazy. That's what dad says."

"That's not true. Blackwood is not a 'loony bin.' It's a place where people like you can be safe. Also, your parents are really concerned about you. So am I. There, I can help you get better. And I'll never leave your side. Ever."

Ciel looked up again. "You can fix me?"

"I can."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

The bath was drawn and warm. The bubbles nearly covered the surface and tickled Grell's chin. He rested his head against the porcelain edge, his hair soaking deeply into the water. Though his glasses were off, he could clearly see the photo of his darling crush, one Dr. Michaelis, that rested on the nearby mantle. He smiled, his face, and, well, other places, growing warm.

" _Sebastian…."_ his voiced whispered, full of longing and desire. One thin arm slid down his slick chest and into the water below, taking grip of his excitedness firmly. His eyes closed as he whispered the name again. Though his true love wasn't there, with his eyes clothes, with his firm grip, it was almost like the real thing. Almost, but not quite.

 **A/N: Don't worry. There's a reason behind that last scene. Trust me! Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

_Oranges and reds, yellows and vermillions. Waves of colors filled Ciel's sleeping mind like the fiery rays of a desert sun._

It was the first smell that assaulted Ciel's nose when his eyes opened: piss. That gross, tangy, acrid odor that leached upon every scent receptor in his nose. The wetness then followed. The sheets, his pajama bottoms and part of his shirt stuck to him in that sopping, clumping way. His teddy bear was unharmed: he always kept it by his head on the pillow for that very purpose.

 _Dammit!_

He new what was going to happen. His dad would come into the room to wake him up, see that he had pissed himself like the fucking baby he was, and then out would come the belt on his ass. Fucking perfect.

But then his fears lightened a little, for nearby, Ciel noticed the luggage resting near his bad. Today was the day he was going to leave this nightmare for a new one.

The door knob turned. Ciel's breathing hitched.

In came Harker like the grandiose disaster he was. For a brief second he looked at Ciel then at the dark circle on the top of the sheets and then back to Ciel. His mouth opened. His mouth shut.

"Just get yourself cleaned up and pack your damn bags. You're out of here by noon."

Well, looks like he was taking everything very well.

The building, deep into those darkened woods and past that wrought iron gate, stood there like a standing cliche. If Ciel knew no better, he would have half expected Count Orlock to be awaiting him on the stone stoop.

The old, archaic edifice rose from its base of dead grass, high against the cloudy sky. It was an abominable mix between Romanesque Revival and Gothic, probably built early in the previous century. The various mixtures of towers and turrets, stained glass windows and oak doors, were intermittently gnarled by dark ivy, barely letting one see the gray stone craftwork in some areas. Engraved in the wall next to the main door, painted a shade of blood red were the words: BLACKWOOD INSTITUTE.

The car's ancient wheels screeched slowly as the vehicle halted; Ciel gripped his bear close to him.

From the driver's seat, a large and hairy face turned towards Ciel. "Here it is, kid. Do you want me to get your trunk?"

The boy nodded silently and quickly and got out.

A click of the trunk opening, the heavy _thump_ of a parcel on gravel, a click of the trunk closing, a sound of a speeding car going off into the distance, and then it was just the boy, the trunk, and the bear.

Little Ciel stared at the big building and it stared back. A cold gust of wind washed over him, like a hiss. He looked down at his feet, part not wanting to look at the stone abomination and part checking to see if he was actually there. Ciel was not sure how long he was standing in that position, but the moment he looked up he about jumped seven feet when he saw the thing on the porch.

Standing there like a statue was this grinning creature. Thin lips were stretched into a large smile, revealing teeth that seemed more useful in the mouth of a great white shark. Chartreuse eyes that almost glowed in sadistic glee rested under red spectacles upon a sharp nose. The hair of this being was a deep cherry red and was long and wild. Pointed shoulders were encased in a jacket that appeared to be made of a crimson velvet. An almost comically oversized bow tie was upon a thin neck and a white shirt, giving way to a brown vest with dark pants. All in all, it was a hideous bombardment of color and Wildean fashion.

Ciel stared. A sense of familiarity came over him. It took him a moment, but then he remembered it clearly. When he was with his first family after the incident, they gave him a copy of _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ to read. He recalled those creepy, hollow illustrations that came with it, in particular the one of Cheshire Cat as he talked to Alice in the woods. This thing on the porch looked just like him. That same large grin, menacing, hungry, mysterious. You couldn't tell if it was going to say a good word or swallow you up, be watch you succeed with joy or watch you die with relish.

"Why helloooooo young man!" The posh tenor voice flowed from the creature's lips like poison butter, sticky and biting. "My name is Dr. Sutcliff! I am the head proprietor of this…." here it struggled for a word " _fine_ establishment. I am assuming you're our newest member of our loving and happy family?"

Ciel nodded fearfully. This Dr. Sutcliff reminded him of a person that would pat someone's back with one hand and stab someone else's with the other.

Another smile creeped onto Dr. Sutcliff's face. "Awww! Aren't you just an adorable creature!"

There was an awkward moment of silence between the two. Grell then began to walk towards the boy. Ciel fought the urge to back away in turn.

"Here! Please, let me get your trunk!" The taller man then began to bend over with disturbing ease; clearly he had done this action many times in the past.

"Oh, it's okay!" Ciel had a sudden feeling that he did not want this guy being near his stuff. "I wouldn't want you to….strain yourself."

The redhead shot straight up, as if he was expecting that answer. "Ya think? I _am_ a rather delicate little rose, to be honest. I would hate to pull a muscle, or even break a nail for that matter! And I can tell you, these do _not_ happen overnight!" He waved his hands in the boy's face.

"I see…."

"However, I would hate for you to have to do it. You came here to relax, not engage in manual labour!"

"It's okay. It's just a trunk…"

"Wait! I just got a perfect idea!" He practically jumped around to face the building. Grell cupped his well manicured hands around his lips. "HANNAH! GET THE HELL OUT HERE!"

He put his hands on his hips and smiled a smile that just yelled self praise.

The door to the institution opened and out came a woman in a nurse's uniform with long pale hair and with a dour expression. "Yes?" her voice squeaked, empty and tired.

"Get this boy's trunk and put it into his room before he kills over!"

"Yes, sir." She slowly made her way down the steps.

The doctor then turned to Ciel.

"Now! Since we have all of that taken care of, let us tour the grounds!" Grell turned on the balls of his feet and practically pranced to the door. Ciel followed behind him. Today was going to be an interesting day.

When Ciel reached the stoop, he stopped for Grell was blocking the entrance. Ciel looked up at him. His eyes were cold and piercing, like how someone eyes an insect or a steak. A clawlike hand stretched itself upon the boy's shoulder, sending shivers down his spine.

"I can already tell, you are going to be a most exceptional child!" His voice was still cheery, but it lost all volume, it was low now, almost sounding like a threat.

"Th-thanks, sir."

"Aww, Ciel! I could just eat you up!" The volume and intensity returned, but that basic menacing quality still stuck.

Ciel did not doubt that one bit. Gobble him up, those shark teeth glistening, that Cheshire grin glowing. Gobble him up into the belly of the beast.

"Shall we begin our tour?"

The child nodded fearfully. As he began to enter, his shoulder in an iron grip, that carbuncle of a building practically swallowing him, Ciel suddenly remembered another snippet of a book he read at that family's house:

"Abandon all hope, ye who enter."

Ciel passed the threshold as he did both of those actions.

 **A/N: I am SO sorry for not updating sooner! I have been SUPER busy and stressed out, plus I have been having severe writer's block. I am not entirely happy with this chapter, but I feel like I should put something up. Thanks and enjoy!**


	4. Chapter 4

The main hall was vacuous almost. The walls were a pasty medical white, whilst the floors were checkered tiles. The ceiling felt too low, even for a short kid like Ciel. He looked up at it, almost thinking that he saw it slowly lowering to crush him, those pale tiles, splotched randomly by water stains. He looked to one side, saw a hall seemingly stretching to infinity, then to the other only to see the same thing. Ciel's eye lingered on the hall to his right, why he wasn't sure. But then a sound, a sharp clicking noise, caught his attention. He jerked his head so he faced directly ahead.

A tall old desk was there, cluttered with papers and files. Two large filing cabinets balanced either side, with a large set of mail slots in the center. Sitting at the desk was a woman with hair as red as Grell's but twice as unkempt. She wore large glasses that magnified her eyes immensely as she typed at the machine before her. Ciel stared uncomfortably, feeling stress and anxiety permeating from her.

Grell, who was standing beside the boy the whole time, walking up to the desk. "Ms. Mey Rin!" he chippered in a pleasant voice, "may you please give our new arrival a key to his room?"

No response; she still clicked and clacked on the typewriter.

Grell turned his head back to the waiting boy and smiled, giving a one-more-moment sort of look. He turned back. "Ms. Mey Rin, may you _please_ give our new arrival a key to his room?" His voice had lost its previous cheerfulness and was marked with annoyance.

No response. Grell sighed deeply. He bent over the desktop towards the working woman, sticking his ass high in the air.

"MEY RIN!"

Simultaneously, the woman in question screamed at the top of her lungs, shot up straight in the air, and pushed her typewriter forward, causing it to fall of the desk. It crashed to the floor with a loud smash, nearly crushing Grell's toes as he quickly jumped backwards, his ass almost colliding with Ciel's face.

"I'M SO SORRY, I AM!" she screamed as she dived over the desk in a vain attempt to catch the falling metallic object, causing papers to come flying in multiple locations like psychotic confetti. Unfortunately, her adequately sized breasts caught her on the edge of the desk, causing her to hang precariously on it as her glasses slipped onto the bridge of her nose and arms began to flail wildly in an attempt to grab the papers just out of reach.

Ciel simply stood there and watched with mild amusement.

Grell, having recovered, stood up and began to move about erratically. "Sweet Jesus Almighty!" he yelled dramatically, as if surviving a near-death-experience. "You incompetent ginger! How dare you nearly kill me like that!?"

"I'm so sorry sir!" Mey Rin was still desperately grabbing at air upon the table. "I'll get all the papers once my arms can reach them, I will!"

Grell turned to Ciel, who was just beginning to laugh. "I am ashamed that your…. _eye_ had to be assaulted with a display of such gross incompetence! Mey Rin! Please get this child his key at once so he can be assaulted no longer!"

"Righto!"

Still lacking the rather obvious sense to get up, Mey Rin began to slowly swivel around on the desk, attempting to turn around to face the cubby wall. Somewhere in her pivoting, one leg got caught over the other, and she, like her mechanical predecessor, fell over the edge of the desk and onto the cluttered floor with a loud THUNNKK!

Mey Rin then commenced to flail about like a cockroach turned over, yelling and muttering senselessly, her glasses now resting somewhere amid all of the papers.

Grell turned to Ciel once again, his face now marred in a mix of contempt and embarrassment. "Funnily enough, this is the second time this has occurred this week."

"Really now?"

Grell sighed and made his way behind the desk, picking one of the keys from a cubby hole near the top. It was brass and had a tag displaying the number 13 in bold red letters. Grell then began to walk to the right hall way, briefly stopping to gesture for Ciel to follow.

"This way to your room!"

Ciel quickly followed, not wanting to be left alone with the still flailing secretary. "Uh, sir?" Ciel called as he caught up to the walking man. "I thought you were going to take me on a tour?"

Grell stopped. "Oh. Yeah. Well, you see, I think I am running late to a meeting with my beautician, so I am just going to take you to your room and let your roommate show you around!"

Ciel wasn't sure whether the man was lying or being honest.

"Oh! So I have a roommate?"

"Yes! I think you will find him most….hospitable. Here, it is only a few steps this way."

They continued down the long white hallway for some time. It seemed to stretch endlessly. The generally blank walls were intermittently decorated with bulletin boards or the occasional clock. There were no windows, the only source of light being the frosted bulbs above. Some flickered, some buzzed, but all were dim and yellow, causing a certain eeriness to fill the hallway.

Along the way they passed several doors, possibly rooms for patients. They all were of a dark wood with a small grating on the top for a sort of window.

Grell made no attempt to talk to Ciel the entire way down, opting to merely hum to himself and drum his fingers along the sides of the front on his coat. Ciel simply held his bear close to himself and tried to be as small as possible, wondering what kept the older man beside him from being in one of those rooms as well.

Eventually Grell stopped at a door at the end of the hallway.

"Well, here it is! Dinner's at eight!" Grell turned on his heels and was gone down the other way before the child could say more.

Ciel watched the red coat of the man get smaller and smaller as he walked away. He turned his back toward the door. It seemed so big all of a sudden. He felt the cold metal in his hand as he stretched his arm out to the keyhole.

"It's open!" yelled a tired voice from within.

Ciel turned the knob and entered.

He found himself in a small room, the lights dim, the walls blank. A smell, strong and heavy, filled the air like a haze, stinging his nose and clouding his head and eyes. It smelled like fruit and spice. He wrinkled his nose at it.

He heard a giggle. "Do you like it? It's incense, bought from bazaar at Constantinople. I got it for my birthday last year. They say it gets you _excited_ , if you know what I mean." There was another giggle, sharp and girlish.

Ciel did his best to look around the room, but had a hard time due to his squinting eyes from the haze. One bed was empty, but the other wasn't. In it, posed like some nymph from a French postcard, was a boy.

His gaze could only be described as lazy yet absolutely starving. Icey blue eyes were half lidded, resting on a face perfectly pale and handsome. Though they were tired, there was a sense of hunger in them, as if his eyes wished to devour the boy before them. Like Grell's in a way, but markedly different.

Red lips were pulled into a half smirk. Blonde hair fell about his head. He rested on his side, one hand acting as a sort of pedestal upon which his cranium rested, the other lying listlessly upon his side. He wore a simple dark shirt along with shorts that ended halfway on slim and smooth thighs. He was shoeless and sockless like a child.

 _Like Narcissus,_ thought the boy in the doorway, _like Narcissus resting near a pond._

"Hello, Ciel." The boy spoke in a voice dripping with lust and ego. "Welcome to Blackwood, the kingdom of dreams and madness. I am Alois Trancy. Remember that name. You'll either dread it or beg to hear it again and again."

One thought that entered Ciel's head at this moment: _Where the fuck did my parents dump me?!_

 **A/N: I am SO sorry for being late on the updates! I have been SO damn busy these past few weeks! I know this is rather short but I think I got my point across. Thank you all so much and don't forget to review (if you want, that is)! Thanks for everything!**


	5. Chapter 5

Endless chatter. Maddening. Constant. That was all that bombarded Ciel's ears as he walked down the hallway with that blonde annoyance beside him. Ciel found himself half wishing that the coy, seductive ruse that Alois had put on in the room was his full nature, however that was not the case. In reality, Ciel came to learn the hard way, Alois was a loud, annoying, brat.

To Alois, he was giving the new and rather pathetic yet still gorgeous boy an illuminating and engaging history of his new home. It was founded in 1790 as a school for boys. In 1836 it became a hospital for the sick of health, a decade later becoming a hospital for the sick of mind, which it continued on to be to this very day. And, oh! Don't you think these walls are so ugly and mildewy? And, oh! That lady named Hannah is such a weird bitch! And, oh!

To Ciel: Blah blah blah blah oh! Blah blah blah blah!

It took them almost forever to see the main halls: the cafeteria (where they would be eating later), the game room, the gym, the courtyard with its tacky fountain of an angel pissing, the classrooms where Ciel, Alois, and the few other kids that were stuck here would learn. The offices. Ugh. Ciel just wanted it all to be over.

Eventually they stopped, halfway to the game room (Alois wanted to spend time there because they still had a while until supper). Standing in the hallway before them, right in the middle just enough to block either side, was a boy around their ages, maybe slightly older.

He had odd, pale greyish hair. His eyes were dead and lifeless. He wore dark, tattered rags for clothes. He tipped side to side on each foot, shifting his weight erratically. The boy's hands moved on minds of their owns, all around the air and his body, back and forth. His fingers drummed, twitched. He was muttering himself, pitches getting higher and lower.

Ciel wanted to grab his bear, but then realized that it was back in his room. He was scared to say the least.

Alois took note and laughed. "Scared? Don't be! That's just Snake. He's too retarded to be dangerous. Thinks he's covered in snakes, don't know why. Thinks he can talk to them, too! Funny huh?"

"I guess…"

"Here. This'll do for a laugh!" Alois walked up to the dancing boy and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Oi! Snake? Got any news from the snakes?"

Snake looked up at Alois wide-eyed and nodded. He then got into a trance-like state and spoke. "'The second coming is close at hand.'" His voice was deep and throaty. He looked to Ciel and nodded quickly. "'The second coming, Ciel. It's coming. It's coming! Run while you can! The second coming is close at hand!'" He began to shake his head wildly up and down, then suddenly stopped. "Right you are, William. Right you are indeed!" His voice was not as deep now, chldish almost.

He began to shake like a tremor, arms moving wildly in all directions, convulsing. Alois was too busy laughing to notice him walking away in an odd, disjointed fashion. Ciel stared at Alois.

"I don't think that's funny, telling him my name just to scare me like that."

Alois stopped laughing and looked at Ciel. "But...I never told him your name. I guess he must have heard it somewhere." He saw how shook up the other boy was, and he shook his head and giggled again. "Don't be so worried! He's just a basket case. Nothing wrong. He says stupid shit like that all of the time!" Here he slapped a hand onto Ciel's shoulder. "C'mon, let's go to the game room!"

The game room was a rather dismal place. It was wide, white, and dim, much like the other rooms in this place. Scattered were various forms of amusement: A pingpong table, a card table, an old radio. Several old sofas littered the room, along with random chairs and tables. A large set of shelves towards the back housed several board games that were no doubt missing of some key pieces.

Alois clapped his hands together. "So! What shall we play? Luckily, it seems most of the freaks and schizos are still in their rooms, so we ought to have all of the toys to ourselves."

He looked to Ciel when he heard no response, but saw that the boy had wandered to the edge of the room. It had a large window, nearly consuming the entire wall. Ciel stood there, gazing out, looking incredibly small. Alois chuckled and followed him.

"Pretty, ain't it?"

Ciel nodded absentmindedly. "You can see everything from here." His voice was so quiet. So amazed and awed. It was cute. Reminded him of...of...oh God….

Alois's breathing hitched, but just for a second. He calmed immediately. He had to. "It's awesome. How much you can see. Over there is Ghost Lake. There is Dr. Sutcliff's cottage. There's the woods, dark and creepy ain't they?"

"What's that?"

The moment Alois heard that, he knew instantly what the boy meant. He sighed. It was inevitable. Alois looked up and followed the boy's finger to the treeline. Sticking out in the middle, so far and distant yet so totally clear, was an old, stone tower. Shivers went down Alois's spine like ice water.

"That…." Alois's voice was dry. It hurt to speak so suddenly. His voice was but a croak then."That's Trancy Tower; it belongs to the Trancy Manor, just ought of sight over there."

"T-Trancy Tower? But… if you're Alois Trancy then shouldn't you-"

DING! DING! DING!

The old grandfather clock made the boys both nearly jump as it went off. They looked at each other, fear both effectively in their eyes. Dinner time.

Dinner went like a nightmare. A miasma of poorly made food, crazy patients that jumped, barked, squealed, and moaned bombarded Ciel the entire time. Alois had been quiet the entire time, absorbed in his thoughts for some odd reason, so Ciel simply ate quietly and wished he was somewhere else.

Finally, his stomach full of nauseating cuisine, Ciel made his way out of the cafeteria. Alois had suddenly left him, having muttered something about meeting with a Doctor Faustus or something, so Ciel walked the halls by himself. But finally, he made it back to his room. Happy, and feeling suddenly safe with his bear beside him, Ciel snuck deeply into his sheets and slept a fretful sleep.

Two figures, one tall and lean, the other short and thin, rested intimately on their bed. They rested above the sheets, their naked and sweaty bodies exposed to the cool air. They were like a tangle of limbs and flesh, it seemed.

"What's wrong?" the little voice asked, exasperated but pressing and concerned.

"Nothing." The other voice deep and reassuring. "It's just that damned man. I swear he's more trouble than he's worth. I can't stand him."

"Oh, don't worry about him. He's a silly man. Just think about me. That's all you need."

A deep chuckle. "God….you always know what to say! A must say, what's gotten into you to night? You've never been so...passionate before."

"I-I just really want to be with someone tonight, I guess."

Chuckles and giggles. Kissing. Warmth. Again.

Meanwhile.

Everything in the room was hideous. The walls. The carpet. The bed. Absolutely hideous.

When he listened closely, the figure could faint chatter, faint cloppings of horses, as people walked by on the London streets, not thinking of what went on behind that door.

The figure was sprawled on that hideous bed like a starfish, arms and legs stretched wide. Its hair was like a red sea during a hurricane, piled and mussed all over the place. A mask rested on its face, white and emotionless. It wore a sort of night gown. Dark black and covered in lace. Two small straps were on the shoulders. It went down the torso, stopping just below the pelvis area with a sea of frills. It was hideous now, too. It was all ripped and cut from the previous client. The figure side, the breath escaping the little mouth hole like a whistle.

Eventually the figure sat up and got out of the bed, slowly limping towards the mirror, light winces escaping every once and awhile. The figure felt something sticky and cold run down the back of its leg. It sighed again and looked down at the white liquid, tinged lightly with pink. It smiled darkly to itself, just below the mask. Funny. Two colors from two people!

It reached the mirror and stopped, staring at itself. The figure looked like a hideous, slutty doll. Slowly it removed the mask. Out popped the face of Grell Sutcliff. He sighed and stared again, deeper. Those tares in the dress. That beast of a man. This was his best outfit. Oh well. He'd just have to sow it again later. For no reason at all, he twirled slowly, like a hideous ballerina.

The grandfather clock rung twelve times. Midnight. Grell quickly pulled on his mask as he heard the doorknob turn.

Just once more, he lied to himself, just once.

 **A/N: the plot thickens! Read and Review! Read and enjoy!**


	6. Chapter 6

_Sebastian could feel the smooth warmness of Ciel as his hands moved all over the child. He rubbed, groped and squeezed the lovely flesh as their lips crashed endlessly together. Ciel moaned gorgeously._

" _Sebastian…." the little voice whispered, longingly, hungrily. "Sebastian. Take me. Take me now!"_

 _Sebastian growled deeply, practically shoving his tongue down the younger boy's throat. He could feel the hardness press tightly against his underwear; he knew he had to remove it soon to...to…._

"Dr. Michaelis…"

The toneless voice awoke the sleeping doctor. He sat up quickly, a cold sweat covering his night clothes. He swore under his breath as he felt a wet, sticky stain in the front of his flannel pants.

"Dr. Michaelis…" the voice called again, emotionless, muffled by the door. It sounded like Nurse Hannah.

"Yes?" Sebastian cringed as he heard his hoarse voice.

"It's Archibald. He is throwing a fit."

Sebastian got up and quickly changed his pajama bottoms as best he could by candlelight. "Archibald? But he's Claude's."

"I know that," she said matter-of-factly. "Dr. Faustus has one of his do-not-disturb notices of his on the door. Besides, Archibald really doesn't want to see him."

Sebastian sighed. It seems like every night Claude would put that lousy sign on the door to his private quarters. That and Grell disappearing every Monday night led to Sebastian being the go to doctor for any patient crisis.

Sebastian briefly closed his eyes as the brightness of the hallway greeted him. He was then able to make out Nurse Hannah standing there, eyes blank but with a slight look of annoyance in them. She stared at his mismatched pajamas but said nothing of it.

"So, what seems to be the problem?"

Nurse Hannah exhaled deeply and motioned for him to follow her. "I think you should just go and see him yourself."

"Very well."

The walk from the staff's wing to the patients' was rather quiet and warrants no further detail.

Archibald, his full name being Archibald Tuttle, had been at Blackwood for the past four years. He, like most of the children there, had no parents.

Once upon a time a grave digger had arrived late one night to get a head start on a grave when he heard a rather odd noise. He went to investigate and was led to a mausoleum that appeared to have been broken into. Inside he found an eleven year old Archie playing what appeared to be naked wrestling with several of the decomposing bodies. He had been at Blackwood ever since.

When Sebastian reached Archibald's room, he immediately saw that the door was wide open and that its occupant, was on his knees in the hallway, slowly rocking back and forth. Through his long silver hair, Sebastian could see large tears pouring from his eyes. He clutched a bleached skull in his hands.

Sebastian sighed; it was too early for this.

"Please! Please, Dr. Faustus! Don't hurt me, don't shock me, don't cut my brain out! I didn't mean to steal Lily! I swear! She told me to! She was lonely! I-" By this point he looked up, his green-yellow eyes wide and fearful, the scar spanning across his face looking particularly bright. "Oh! Dr. Michaelis!" He jumped up and ran towards the doctor, brandishing the skull. "Please do something! Don't let Dr. Faustus take my Lily away! Don't let him hurt me!" Archibald began to cry once again.

"Why, calm down, Archie! What seems to be the trouble?"

Archibald, or Undertaker as his peers called him in both jest and reverence, took a second to catch his breath. "Well, yesterday, in Dr. Faustus' science lecture, he had to leave the room to as Mr. Bardroy to fix the heating vent because it was all acting up funny. And when he left, I saw that the door to his storage room was open. Alois said wouldn't it be funny if we looked around, and so I went. And that's when I saw her!" He lifted his hands to hold the skull high, as if it were a treasure.

Sebastian grimaced. "I see….who is that?"

"It's Lily!" He gazed at the skull lovingly, and began to stroke it with one hand. "Ain't she pretty? She was so lonely, y'see, I just had to take her home to my room! But then she got all dirty, so I tried to take her to the washroom to clean her, but then Nurse Hannah caught me, and then she said she's going to tell Dr. Faustus, and then he's going to do that shocky thing to me again, and then he's going to cut my brain up, and then…."

He dissolved again into tears. Even though he felt slightly unnerved by the younger boy's behavior, Sebastian knew Archibald always meant well. He began to pat Archibald on his back, trying to calm him down. Eventually, the boy stopped.

"Now, Archie. Today in science, I want you to go to Dr. Faustus, and tell him what happened and give Lily back."

"But-but then he'll-"

"He won't. I'll talk to him. He won't lay a single finger on you about any of this."

Archibald looked up, his eyes innocent and large. "Promise?"

Sebastian smiled. "Promise."

Archibald grinned widely and practically jumped onto Sebastian as he hugged him. He pulled back, "Thank you so much. I wish you were my doctor."

"Now, now, don't say that. Dr. Faustus is totally capable. Now get some sleep, okay?"

Archibald nodded, but stopped Sebastian before he could turn around. "By the way, would you mind to wash Lily for me?"

"Um….sure." Sebastian awkwardly smiled and took the skull from Archibald. He examined it briefly and saw that the edge of the right eye-socket was stained with a white crust. Sebastian's stomach churned and he mentally said goodbye to any hope to eating breakfast.

 **A/N: Okay, so this chapter doesn't really count, because it suppose to take place between the previous chapter and the next one. Hopefully you aren't too grossed out by the little Undertaker….so yeah. Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing and all of that. It makes me really happy. Happy New Year!**


	7. Chapter 7

_The lady was there. Face so pinched and pale. Like death in a woman form. Her eyes opened wide, spiders pouring out like blood from an opened artery. Spiders everywhere. Run! Then-_

 _Darkness. Whispers. Fire. They're coming. Coming to get-_

 _Luka….Luka…..please…..don't hurt…..Luka. Luka! LUKA!_

The first sensation Ciel had when he awoke was pressure. A tightness seemed to hold itself upon him, centralizing about his neck. And then he felt a jerk. Once to the left. Once to the right. Then another, sharper, more violent. But it was the voice, loud yet quiet, angry yet furious, it called his name. Ciel at first felt like it was another dream, but his hurting lungs told a different story. His eyes burst open with the shortness of breath, and he saw an angry Alois looming over him.

Ciel was about to open his mouth to protest, though he probably would have only managed a breathless gasp, but Alois cut him off. "Think you're funny huh?" He jerked Ciel again, who yelped. "Fucking little brat! That's what ya do huh? Can't take a fucking joke. Said I was fucking sorry for what Snake did, and _this_ is what you fucking do?" Alois's grip grew stronger on Ciel's neck, but Ciel quickly began to squirm strong enough to break free.

Alosi let go. Ciel looked weakly up at him and saw tears in the blonde's eyes. "Why? How did you know? How?"

"How what?" Ciel's voice was tired and dry.

"Fucking forget it. Breakfast is in cafeteria. Class at nine, your schedule is on the night stand." Alois turned and began to walk towards the door. He turned. "Might want to tell Nurse Hannah to change your sheets. You fucking pissed yourself."

Ciel sat there, confused, tired. What did Alois mean? What did he do? His head hurt too much to think. And he was wet. He got up, pulled the front of his pajama bottoms from his wet crotch, and tried to think of a good way of notifying Nurse Hannah without anyone seeing his urine stained clothes.

Though he did not feel hungry, Ciel made his way to the cafeteria, eager to make amends with his roommate. The boy was sitting there near a window looking into the gardens. He was by himself and stabbing the hell out of his poor fried eggs.

"Hey," Ciel said meekly, sitting across from the boy.

Alois looked up, then went back to stabbing the white and yellow food, now a disgusting mush. "I hate fried eggs." He seemed to talk almost to himself. "They're like eyes. Staring. Lifeless. I hate them!" He gave a final and passionate stab to them, sending yellow matter flying.

"Y-you know, if you told me what I did, I can make sure not to do it again."

Alois looked up again, this time with an expression contempt, annoyance, and understanding. "You honestly don't know, do you?"

"I really don't."

Alois exhaled and pushed his tray away from him, leaning back in his chair. "I'm sorry for all of that. It's just….I don't know."

Ciel thought for a second. He leaned in, why he didn't know. He braced himself. "Alois. I. Well, when I was asleep, I had a really awful dream and sometimes I say things during them, and I think I did that last night. Do you happen to know a….a _Luka?"_

Alois's face immediately stiffened. It was not surprise. Not fear. Not anger. Just total and complete emptiness. When he spoke, it sounded like he was far away. "Yes. Yes, I do. He is….well, _was_ my brother."

Ciel looked at Alois in surprise. How did he know his brother? "I'm sorry if I'm prying, but what happened to him?"

Alois slowly shook his head, face still blank. "I-I don't know. There's a lot of things I don't remember. Whenever I think back, it's like they're dreams in a smokey room."

Ciel tried to think of what to ask. To propel the conversation further, but he couldn't, though he slightly didn't want to. Something about the way Alois was acting, the blank and empty face, sent shivers down Ciel's spine.

A loud gong roar shook Ciel and the entire room to its core. He looked up to the front of the room and saw Dr. Sutcliff standing there, looking as chipper and annoying as ever, clutching a mallet with the gong on a table next to him.

"Thus ends the breakfast! May you all have a full and strong day filled with nourishment! For our younger residents," here he rested a loving gaze on Ciel who blushed uncomfortably, "school shall commence shortly. For our older residents," here he rested an annoyed gaze on the rest of the room which muttered and shook and drooled, "please return to your rooms and not be seen. That is all!"

He collected his things and skipped merrily, albeit a little limply in his pelvic area, out of the room.

Alois got up and left before Ciel could say something.

The very first period on Ciel's list was a therapy session with Dr. Michaelis. This was the first time Ciel saw the doctor since that day at the hospital and was excited to see the man again. Something about the older man reassured him and made Ciel feel safe.

Dr. Michaelis's office was a lot Dr. Faustus's. Both had were framed with dark cherry wood, both had a tacky Oriental rug in the center, a bookshelf littered with books on psychological matters, a fireplace, a desk and chair, a large sofa for the patients to sit, another chair nearby for the doctor to sit, and a window to look out upon the grounds and to let natural light in. The two offices, however, differed in three major ways: Dr. Faustus's office lacked a sense of love that Dr. Michaelis's had, Dr. Faustus's windows were constantly covered by red drapes requiring a fire to always be lit, and Dr. Michaelis's desk did not currently have a person crouching beneath it as Ciel walked in at that moment.

Ciel entered the office and immediately smiled as he saw the warm, handsome face of Dr. Michaelis smiling back.

"Good morning, Ciel. How are you today?"

Ciel couldn't help but blush. "Very good sir, thank you for asking. How are you?"

"Very good. Please, take a seat on the sofa."

As Ciel did that, Sebastian got up and moved to the nearby seat. He smiled warmly. "How has your stay been here thus far?"

Ciel quietly debated whether to tell him about the incident this morning.

"Very good. Everyone has been wonderful."

"That's very good to hear! I'm glad that you are adjusting well, and I'm looking forward to having you in class as well."

"Me too."

"Good. Now, how we just talk so I can get to know you better. How does that sound?"

Ciel nodded, still blushing, still meek.

"Very well." Sebastian pulled out a notebook and a fountain pen. "So, have you been sleeping well? Any bad dreams?"

Ciel thought. Ciel nodded. "Yes, one."

Sebastian scribbled something down. "Okay, do you mind to tell me about it?"

Hesitation, but nodding just the same. "Well, it was dark, and I didn't know where I was. Then there was a light and a woman."

"Who was this woman?" More scribbling, like the scuttling of a spider.

"I don't know. But she had spiders. Spiders coming out of everywhere. And they started chasing me." Ciel's heart started to pound, body started to shake, but on he continued.

"And I ran, but they kept coming and coming, And then, and then, there was a voice. It was screaming."

Sebastian leaned in, eyes intent, hand going wild with the pen. "What was the voice saying, Ciel?"

"It yelled, 'Luka!' repeatedly. 'Luka!' 'Luka!'" Ciel continued to shake furiously.

"Luka?" Sebastian stopped writing and stared at the boy in shock. "Luka?"

This stopping of the speech made Ciel snap out of his trance. He looked at the doctor with fearful eyes. "Yes."

"How do you know that name?"

Ciel shook his head. "I don't know. I just, I just dreamt of it."

Sebastian looked down at his notes and stared holes into them. "Curious." His voice was above a whisper. "Very very curious indeed."

For a while Ciel looked at the doctor as he looked at the notes. With shaking lips, he asked: "Dr. Michaelis, can you tell me why Alois is here?"

For a moment Ciel wondered if the doctor heard him, but eventually Sebastian looked up with empty eyes. Eyes like Alois.

Sebastian sighed and looked at Ciel and then at the door of his office. "I suppose. But you will say none of this to Alois, do you understand?"

Ciel nodded meekly and eagerly.

Sebastian shifted himself in his chair, putting one leg over the other, trying to find a comfortable position. "You see. The late Earl Trancy was a rather controversial figure around these parts. Some saw him as a rather loving and philanthropic soul, whilst others, to be frank, saw him as a dirty old man." Sebastian smiled as if to a private joke.

"In fact, he gave some much needed funding to this institute when we were struggling. He always prided himself in children's causes. After all, he was an allegedly great family man. He had Alois and Luka."

Luka. Luka like the dream. Luka like death and pain. Luka

"W-what happened to his wife?"

Sebastian smiled again. "No one knows. She was found on the ground of the manor's lawn, right below an open window. Some say she jumped, some say she was pushed…." His voice trailed off as if in thought. "However a wife's mysterious death was not the only skeleton in his closet it seemed."

"Like what?"

Sebastian took great thought before he spoke. "Well….from what visitors to the manor said, he was rather…. _close_ to his children, especially Alois. I remember I was invited for a banquet at his house, a community dinner, I guess. I remember it clearly; we had the most delicious cake for dessert that night." Sebastian grinned, remembering the confection fondly. "He sat there, the Earl, at the end of the table, Alois and Luka on either side of him. The two boys said nothing, sitting there quietly, like they weren't supposed to speak. But whenever the Earl looked at either one, it was almost like he was staring at one of those slices of cake. A weird family. All of them. But they were happy, from what I could gather."

Sebastian stopped. Looked at Ciel almost as if he were seeking approval to continue.

When Ciel spoke, he noticed how quiet the room was. "So, what happened? Why is Alois here and not there?"

Even though Sebastian knew that was coming, he still felt a sense of surprise and confusion before he continued to speak. "It happened around three years ago, maybe two and a half. At any rate, several children, all boys around your age, went missing in the woods near Trancy Manor. Police were baffled; no one knew who could have done it. But one day a boy and his brother were out playing in the woods near the home and said they were stopped by Alois. They said Alois looked rather melancholy and nervous, as if something or someone was bothering him.

"When the boys asked Alois what the matter was, they said Alois told them that he was really lonely and wanted them to come to the manor and play. Neither of the boys wanted to go; Alois's demeanor was unsettling to them and rightfully so. But when they refused, Alois got very agitated and angry. They said he yelled at them to come, like his life depended on them to do so, and that he nearly grabbed one of the boys in frustration. Luckily, the boys ran and got away. Their parents thought that it might be related to the disappearances, so they had the police go to Trancy Manor to investigate."

Ciel was on the edge of his seat. "What happened? Did they find anything?"

Sebastian smiled again and shook his head. "And that's it! That's the clincher. When they searched the manor, they found not a shred of evidence linking them to the disappearances. They say the Earl Trancy was so infuriated with these accusations that he withdrew from the public that turned on him. Then the fire happened."

Ciel's eyes widened, and he began to feel an odd tingling with in him and sense of familiarity. Fire. Fire like his dreams. Fire.

Sebastian obviously took no notice to the internal monologue of his patient and continued. "One night, two years ago, the Trancy Manor caught fire and burned to the ground. Half of it was destroyed, but a good portion of its frame is still standing."

 _That explains the tower._

"No one knows how it happened. When the authorities arrived, they found Alois. He was covered in blood and ash and was babbling incessantly about….spiders, or something."

Spiders. Spiders like that woman. That woman. Luka. Fire. Pain.

"W-what happened? Why did the house burn down?"

Sebastian smiled again, slowly shaking his head. "No one knows. Most people think Alois snapped and set the house on fire, killing his brother and his father, but no one found any bodies and Alois can't seem to remember anything of that day or days previous. It's a weird case."

"Indeed."

Sebastian shifted in his seat so that he could place his hands on his lap and leaned towards the boy. He know grinned like a scoutmaster about to scare his troop with a ghost story. "And you want to know the weirdest part?"

Ciel nodded, half dying with fear and half dying in anticipation.

"Not twenty miles to the south, a boy was found the next morning, running wildly in the woods, smelling of smoke and blood. He was missing an eye, too."

Ciel's one eye widened enough for two. "Was-was….?"

Sebastian nodded. "Indeed it was. I wonder. You knowing about Luka, both you and Alois having amnesia, you both being found on the same day….maybe you two have known each other longer than either of you think."

Ciel's head began to rush. He began to think. What if he and the blond were connected? But how? What could it mean?

"Dr. Michaelis. If that's so, then what _is_ our connection? What caused such an event to happen?"

"I'm not sure. But I want to know as much as you, Ciel. Maybe if I could convince Dr. Faustus for us to have a joint session with Alois. Maybe if you two talk, then you might stir memories betwixt you both. How would you feel about that?"

The child nodded. "I would love that very much. It is settled then, I'll to him presently once the school day is over."

A poor recording of a bell playing over an intercom reverberated in the office. Sebastian looked at the intercom with contempt. "Very well, I'll see you later then. Have a wonderful day and don't dwell too much on this."

 **A/N: thank you all for being patient and please read and review!**


	8. Chapter 8

When Grell was upset, he drank. When Grell was angry, he drank. When Grell's love for Sebastian grew so hard that he couldn't cure it with his hand, he drank. It was only one in the afternoon and Grell was already slurring his thoughts and speech while also nursing a bloody nose. All in the private confines of his office, however; he was private in at least that respect.

The day had started out fine. He had woken up in his bed that he got in not three hours previously, dressed, and went to Blackwood where he saw off Ciel (sort of) to his classes. And then William came.

Oh William! If it wasn't for the man's personality, Grell was sure he would have found a way to get the man to stay one night with him. But no. This was not so.

William, or Doctor William Thackery Spears as was his title, was a member of the Royal Society of Psychologists in London. As per his duties, it was William's job to periodically tour England's mental institutions, like Blackwood, to observe their practices and to also determine how much funding they got. Coincidentally, that last duty was the cause of Grell's current state.

He arrived in his long black car that morning like death on a black steed. The moment Grell looked out the window and saw the automobile his heart immediately sank five feet. He quickly made his way down the winding steps from his office on the top floor to the foyer, briefly chastising Mey-Rin for her cluttered desk, saying she is liable to slip and crack her skull open on that typewriter if she wasn't careful (funnily enough, this is exactly what will happen to her, well, at least the second part, but that's later).

Babbling apologizes bombarding behind him, Grell took a deep breath and opened the door. On the other side stood the grim and darkly handsome doctor.

"William!" Grell exclaimed, voice shaky and uneasy.

William's left eye twitched. He adjusted his glasses with a small snort. "Dr. Sutcliff. I feel you already understand the purpose of my visit. Let us commence as quickly as possible so neither of our schedules are put off balance." William pushed passed Grell without another word, entering the building.

" _I'm doing fine you sexy thing, how about you?"_ Grell's words were hushed yet biting, barely heard by the other man.

"So," began William, head looking round at the hall with marked analysis, like he was inspecting every crevice, every detail into his cold gaze, "I will like you to take me to your patient's quarters, then to the cafeteria, and finally I would like to observe a class session." He pulled out a clipboard and pen as if to justify this statement.

Grell nodded quickly. "Very well Will-Sir!"

And thus the second longest two hours of Grell's life began, the first involving some Viscount and a man named Ronald.

During the entire inspection, Grell took in every snort, every look of disdain, and every eye roll or scribble upon a notepad that William did. Grell's heart constantly seemed to threaten to leap out, but his heavy breathing seemed to push it back in fortunately.

Finally they entered the classroom of Dr. Claude Faustus.

The classrooms of Blackwood were odd things, large and open, yet they felt claustrophobic and archaic. Claude's classroom was for science and mathematics. The walls were littered with not only posters of arterial and skeletal systems, but of mathematicians and logicians. It was one of the biggest ironies: at first walking into the room, a prospective student would think of it as a wonderful place to engage in fun learning. The moment Claude opened his mouth would end that fairy tale completely.

Claude was a teacher of no pity, remorse, or care. He will give you an F, make you clap the erasers, and give you detention just for mixing the charges of a cuprous and cupric atom up. He was a teacher to not be messed with, and all but one student feared and hated him with a passion.

When the two men entered, Claude was standing at the board discussing something that involved a triangle and multiple letters of the alphabet and numbers. Of the five kids present, two were asleep, two were doodling, and the other was trying the best they could with their one eye to pay attention.

William was not amused. He stood there briefly, wrote some things down, looked around, and wrote some more things down before motioning to the redhead that he wanted to leave. The younger man quickly complied.

Grell wanted to ask how everything was, if there was anything he could improve on, if William liked to give or receive, but something about the man's quietness unsettled him. When they finally reached his office, Grell's anxiety was about to destroy him.

William sat down with no fanfare, and Grell quickly sat behind his desk, hoping then there would be a word from him. In hindsight, Grell would have preferred that the man stayed silent.

"So," he began, looking down at his clipboard and adjusting his spectacles, "this institution, quite simply, is a disaster."

" _What?"_ Grell's surprise was evident as he leaned forward, eyes growing large. "What on earth do you mean, sir?"

"I have been to a plethora of institutions in my time, and not a single one has been run as badly as yours has. The psychologists are too lenient, the building is falling apart, and not a single patient seems to be rehabilitated. This is a failure as a mental institution, a failure as an orphanage, and you, sir, are a failure as a professional. I will give Blackwood six months to get its act together. If that is not done, then I will happily sign the eviction notice myself. Good day, Dr. Sutcliff."

William was out the door before Grell had a chance to react to his verbal bombardment. The redhead took chase. He ran after the man desperately, calling after him. "Will!" he called. "Will, please! Can't we talk! Can't we-"

Unfortunately, a lace on Grell's left shoe was dangling a little too loose. It found its way under Grell's right shoe and he collapsed face forward.

And so that's why Dr. Grell Sutcliff, voted most likely to be never heard of again by his secondary school peers, ended up with an empty bottle of sherry in one hand and an empty box of chocolate in the other, crying all the while. He had to do something, but what? Quit? Yes! Quit that lousy job, that way he can focus on the institution. He lifted his heavy and weary head up slowly and looked around the empty office. His dazed eyes came to rest on the hunting rifle that rested on the mantle above the fireplace. Or maybe….just maybe….

"Dr. Sutcliff," the boring voice of Nurse Hannah pounded into Grell's head like dozens of boring knives. She poked her head in, face boring, eyes dull. "Dr. Sutcliff, _he's_ having a fit again. Do you want me to give him a sedative?"

Rage. Not at Hannah in particular, but rage at everything. Will, stupid, sexy Sebastian, the school, himself. Rage. Red, blinding, swelled up inside the doctor. His hands tightened against the empty glass bottle, knuckles turning white. He raised it high above him, like a knight wielding a sword. "GET OUT YOU FILTHY SLUT!"

A loud shattering sound screeched through the air as the glass broke into a thousand pieces upon the Nurse's face. She let out a definitely non-boring scream and shut the door, blood gushing down her fair skin.

Grell laughed. Laughed like a hyena. Laughed like he never laughed before. He flung back his head and laughed at the great empty sky just behind the roof. What bliss. What joy. What a life he had!

 **A/N: Thanks for baring with me; I've been at a very low point for a while. Also, I would like to thank you all for reading and reviewing; it sure means a lot! By the way, by pairings, I do NOT mean that this story will be romance. Basically, a few characters are, and will, have relations, but they are not necessarily mutual or consensual. I hope that makes sense. Thanks!**


	9. Chapter 9

Running.

Ciel ran as fast as he could to get to the class. His therapy session with Dr. Michaelis had run overtime, and now he was five minutes late to his calculus class with Dr. Faustus and had also lost his way. The walls of the hospital seemed to continue forever, winding this way and that, upstairs and down. It felt like some maze made out of stone hedges.

The figure that Ciel ran into was lean and when the collision happened it hurt really bad and involved enough force to knock the small child down onto his rear.

"Oh! You alright, kid?" The voice was deep yet expressionful. It sounded American.

Ciel looked up and saw a young man, face handsome, peppered slightly with stubble, cigarette hanging lazily from the corner of his mouth, standing there.

"I'm so sorry, sir!" apologized Ciel as he stood up, brushing the dust off of him. "I was running and wasn't looking where I was going. I didn't mean it."

"It's okay, kid, I should've gotten the hell out of the way! You 'round that corner flying!" he said with a laugh. He gazed up towards an old clock on the wall. "Whew, you're ten minutes late to whatever it is, kid. Whose class are you going to?"

"Dr. Faustus."

"Damn! That's the last class I'd want to be late to! Here, I'll show you how to get there."

"Sounds good. Thank you so much, sir."

"You can call me Mr. Bardroy, kid."

"Ciel."

Even by the man's side, the halls felt no smaller. He was huddled closely to the man's side. Mr. Bardroy chuckled.

"You're a scared little rabbit, aren't ya?"

"I guess. This place gives me the creeps. What do you do here, anyway?

"Me? Why I'm just the handyman, making sure that this place doesn't fall down any time soon," he said with a tinge of pride.

"Sounds like a fun job."

"Not as easy as it sounds, trust me. It seems like that roof wants to cave in every time a car goes by! Now let's get you to class; I got a girl to see!"

The moment Ciel said goodbye and thanked the man for showing him the way and had entered the room, he immediately regretted it. First off, the general murmur in the classroom of Dr. Faustus talking about triangles and whatnot, which the author thinks is similar enough to calculus to be used as filler in this story even though they are in calculus at this moment and should know what counts, ceased suddenly. Secondly, the look Dr. Faustus gave him was enough to kill a basilisk.

"Why isn't it Mr. Phantomhive? Thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to join us today." He gave a wide gesture towards the kids sitting there. Ciel noticed Alois out right, smug face staring at the timid boy with sadistic glee.

Beign neverous and in front of a class never boded well with Ciel and so when he next spoke it sounded something like: "Wellyouseeiwaslostanddidntknowwheretogoanddrmichaelishadtoleavesohecouldntshowmebutthisniceguynamedmrbardroyhelpedand-"  
"ENOUGH!" Claude's tone was loud and angry. "Please, Mr. Phantomhive, take a seat next to Alois and be quiet. Thank you."

Ciel sat down, feeling Dr. Faustus's and everyone else's gaze as he did so.

The voice of Claude continued now, deep and boring.

At one point during the lesson, Ciel felt a wad of paper hit his left shoulder. He looked over and saw Alois, devious smile large, holding a drawing of a very anatomically correct penis up.

Meanwhile, in another wing of the building, a blond man with a cigar crushed by his foot kissed a red haired lady passionately, away from prying eyes in a closet.

They made sounds of contentment as they did so. But eventually the lady pulled away and adjusted her glasses, a look of shame on her face.

"What is it?" The man pondered, slightly worried at her sudden change in demeanor.

"There's something I've been meaning to tell you, there is."

"What?"

She looked at him, to the left, to the right, and to him again. She inhaled her breath.

"I'm pregnant."

A/N: not sure how to begin apologizing for this. I've been so busy it's not even funny. Hopefully this'll suffice. The next chapter will be dark and mysterious, I swear! Read and review please! Thanks! 


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